The Return
by Iniysa
Summary: Part 2 in the Kids series. Story Complete. Jim returns.


The Return   
Part 2 in the KIDS Series  
By: Lauren Freeman  
  
He came back I cannot believe it. It was so sudden, one evening, Sam and I were cooking dinner in the kitchen, Lilly, now 7, was in the living room, reading one of her favorite books. While Amy and Jonny were upstairs in their room, doing whatever they did in the evenings, probably surfing the web. A knock on the front door caught our attention right away. Usually people don't come over past 5, unless we know other wise, or there's an emergency. Lilly remained oblivious to the knocking, but Amy and Jonny were down the stairs in a flash and were bouncing with anticipation behind us. They do this every time someone knocks on the door, or whenever the phone rings. It does not matter that it's not ringing on there line. They still like to know everything that happens. So I latch the chain and open the door, until the chain won't let me open it anymore. It's wide enough for my whole face to look out. Who I see startles me, and I almost faint. Before I know it, I have the door unlocked and standing wide open. Sam, who has only seen pictures, recognized him right away. So did the twins. They both took a step back, Amy, did a perfect military about face, and was out of there, and beck in her room within moments. Jonny stood there for a minute, making eye contact with Jim, them slowly turned away and walked back up to his room. I just stood there with my mouth hanging open. Sam put her hand on my shoulder, snapping me out of, wherever I was, and I quickly backed away and motioned him in. We led him to the kitchen. Jim had a seat in one of the chairs at the kitchens island. Sam brought him a coffee, and I just sat there. Finally I got up the nerve to speak.   
  
"Umm, Jim, this is my wife Samantha...Samantha this is Jim." Jim stood and shook her hand.   
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you Samantha." He said with a smile, which did not quite meet his eyes.  
  
"It's great to finally meet you. And it's Sam, call me Sam."   
  
"Sam." Jim sat back down.   
  
"So, umm, Jim, I guess you know about Mary then?" A look of pure sadness crossed his face.   
  
"Yeah, I went to Cascade and found another family living in my old house. So I went to the Loft, where you were living when I...left. I found a newlywed couple living there. So I decided to see if Simon was still in Cascade. I found out he had moved to Colorado four years ago. So I found out is address, and got there just a few hours ago. He told me where I could find you, and let me know that I was not to come see him until I had seen you." Jim explained. I just sat there while Sam nodded.   
  
"Well, I guess I can tell you about Amy and Jonny..." So I let him in on what they wanted to do with their lives. He looked extremely proud of them. I was expecting him to be extremely angry when I told him that they had changed their names, and that they were not too fond of him, especially Amy. Sam was quick to jump in that we tried to talk them out of not liking him Jim just nodded. "So, you ready to meet them?" I asked, and before he could answer I was already calling them. It had become so second nature to me, I called them my normal way. Quietly. "Amy, Jonny, come down here for a few minutes." Jim gave me a sharp look. Opps, I had forgotten to tell him, they were Sentinels too. Jonny came down the stairs slowly, but there were know signs of Amy. So I called her again. "Amy, if you don't get down here within the next minute, you are going to be grounded off the computer." I said just as quietly, still nothing. Then Jonny stepped in.   
  
"Amy, come on, if I am going to do it, you can do it too." Time passed for a second and Jonny cocked his head to listen to his sister. "Hey, NeeDee, Ossom, Awsume!" He said quietly. Oh did I tell you that Amy and Jonny developed their own language when they were 9? Over the years, Sam and I still can't figure out what there saying when they start speaking in it. Jim just watched Jonny, speak for the next few minutes, until Amy finally stomped down the stairs, looking not too happy. She sat down in a chair but refused to look at Jim. Before we could start talking Lilly walked into the room, full gymnastics leotard on, her gym bag on one arm and her nose in her book. Not even looking up she spoke.   
  
"Daddy, when's dinner? It's almost time for gymnastics!" Ugh! She had gymnastics practice that night! Of all nights!   
  
"Honey, we have a visitor, is that anyway to greet a visitor?" Lilly looked up sharply. She walked up to Jim and studied him really hard.   
  
"You must be Uncle Jim. I'm Lilly, I am 7 years old, and I have a gymnastics meet tomorrow!" This last half was directed at me. Dang, she had to go to practice.   
  
"I'll take her!" Amy quickly jumped up.   
  
"No! I'll take her, you sit down!" Sam said. "Besides, it dose not start for another hour, we still have to eat dinner. Jim, would you like to join us for dinner?" Jim did not look quite sure; he looked like he was about to back out when I spoke up.  
  
"Come on, there is a lot to talk about, stay for dinner, I insist." Jim nodded his head. "Good, then let's all get washed up, and meet in the dining room in 5 minutes. Jim there is a half bath down the hall, third door to your left." With that it was just Sam and I in the kitchen. We stared at each other for a minute; we washed up ourselves and started putting the food on the table. It was going to be a long night.   
  
Jim came back before the kids, no doubt they were going to spend the entire five minutes if not a little longer, washing there hands. Jim pulled me over to the side to talk to me privately.   
  
"Are you sure about this Chief? The kid's don't look to happy to see me."  
  
"There not Jim. Now, I am going to try and get them asking you questions. They are both mad at you for leaving so be prepared for anything." Jim nodded.  
  
"Okay, that sounds good. They...they are Sentinels?"  
  
"HA! Oh yeah! There senses showed up while in solitary confinement in their rooms for three days. They were, 10, they never hit anyone again." I said with a smile. "They each have there own spirit guide, Jonny has a monkey, and Amy has a black Jaguar like you." Jim just smiled and shook his head. "Speaking of Sentinels, do you still have your senses?"   
  
"Yes Sandburg, I still have my senses, there just not heightened right now. When I left, I found out myself that I really could not keep this up without a guide. They went away shortly after that." It was my turn just to nod. "You say, Amy and Jonny graduate in two months, how are they going to function without guides? I suppose you have been there guide?" I nodded again.  
  
"Yeah, at first, then they started to guide each other more then anything. They are very protective of each other. Amy has not found someone she feels she can trust as her guide, so she is going to stay here until she is ready to move out. We made it perfectly clear, that she can stay as long as she would like. It's not like she doesn't have money, her book is bringing in a very large amount of cash. But we have taught her well, and 90 percent of it is going into her bank account. Jonny on the other hand found someone to be his guide. He has been Jonny's best friend since we moved here. I know him well, and he was defiantly born a guide. We told Adam about Jonny's senses, three years ago. We did not tell, him anything about the guides, just that it had to be kept a secret. I pulled Adam aside and asked him to look after Jonny, and told him what to look out for in a zone. Of course Adam had never had to deal with a zone because he has not had one since he was twelve. Anyways, Adam and Jonny are joining the Air Force under the buddy program."   
  
"I want to thank you, Blair, you took my kids in and raised them to be great adults." I was shocked at this. He was thanking me? The kids disliked him, and he was thinking me? "You have a beautiful daughter...Lilly?" I smiled at this.  
  
"Yeah, Sam, the twins and I were in a garden when Sam went into labor. The medics didn't get there in time, and Lilly was born next to a massive garden of Lilly's we felt the name was perfect. So will you be around for awhile?" I had to ask.   
  
"Yeah, if I'm wanted, I would like to try and patch things up with the kids, if you don't mind."   
  
"Yeah, I think you need to patch things up with them, also, and I will be asking questions at dinner tonight also, now that the relief in seeing you again has passed, I'm not going to lie, I'm a bit pissed that you just left me also."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Good, you will sleep in the guest bedroom, down the hall to the right. Now everyone should be at the table by now, lets get this over with." With that we headed into the dinning room. And I finally got the answers I had been looking for, for 10 years. 


End file.
